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How to Schedule an Email in Outlook? [Updated 2024]

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook? [Updated 2024]
How to Schedule an Email in Outlook? [Updated 2024]

Email is the key tool of asynchronous messaging in modern communications that you can rely on in personal and business matters. Though asynchronous at its core, most people expect their email to reach the recipient as soon as possible. And yet you'll often prefer to back-pedal and schedule an email to send later. You might have read how to do that in Gmail on our blog before, so this time, let's see how to schedule an email in Outlook — another popular email client. Another famous feature of Outlook is unified inbox, give it a chance to enjoy clean inbox and distraction free email environment.

Sending email much later than you typed is called email scheduling - an aspect of email worth using in many scenarios. For example, a workplace email is better sent at the beginning of a workday rather than late at night. So if you're an Outlook user, this article will focus on this email client alone. If you are not an outlook lover then you should also check these outlook alternatives as well. They have lot of features that are much better than outlook.

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook

The process of scheduling an email in the Outlook email client can be easier done than said, no matter whether you're on a PC or Mac. Just as we can schedule emails in Gmail. The same is possible with Microsoft Outlook. Outlook calls it delay delivery and does not require any third-party add-on for this. You need to first open Outlook in your browser and sign in with your Microsoft account. Here are the steps:

  • There's one blue button, New message, sitting in the top left corner of your screen. Click it to create a new email.
  • Type in the details of the recipient(s) and ensure you use an attention-grabbing subject line.
  • Compose the content of your email, observing proper email etiquette while you're at it.
  • Click the Options button on the menu bar and click on Delay Delivery to reveal the delivery Properties window. There, you'll find a Do not deliver before option.
  • Once the Do not deliver properties window dialog is open, fill in the time and date for Outlook to send the email. Click the Close button once you're through. Send the message as you would have if you didn't schedule it. It'll remain in your Outbox until the precise date and time you just picked. That's when Outlook will deliver the message.

There's an essential detail you need to know: Outlook only sends emails when it's open. The implication is that at the date and time you specify, Outlook cannot send the message if it's closed. However, it will do so once you open it. Outlook delay delivery is excellent if you have Microsoft Outlook open all day and you're scheduling a message around working hours.

How to De-schedule an Email and Send It Right Away

It sometimes becomes urgent to de-schedule an email and send it immediately. Email marked for delayed delivery live in the Outbox folder in the left sidebar. Outlook has an option to cancel the scheduled email. The process is as follows:

  1. After you open Outlook, visit the Outbox folder and click on your scheduled email.
  2. Select the Options tab after the window opens. Click on Delay Delivery under More Options.
  3. After the new window opens, remove the last scheduled time by unchecking the Do not deliver before checkbox. Click the Close button.
  4. Click the Send button to send your email instantly.

Ascertain that the email is on its way by going to your Outbox. If it isn't, then the audience should see it soonest.

How to Delay all Emails in Outlook

We've looked at how to delay individual emails with Outlook's delay delivery. But, sometime you may need to delay all outgoing emails? Let's understand why this may be necessary.

It's human to err. Well, the saying doesn't make it any less embarrassing when you realize you've made an embarrassing error after pressing the send button. It may be a typo, grammatical error, or that there's some incorrect fact, data, or piece of information that you managed to leave out. Sending those apology-laden correction emails is never a task anyone looks forward to.

That's where delayed delivery on all messages can help. It offers enough time to edit an email you'll otherwise have sent and spares you any embarrassment before the recipient. Here's how to set it up:

  1. Open Outlook''s File tab.
  2. In the Info section, click Manage Rules & Alerts.
  3. Choose the Email Rules tab in the dialog box and click on New Rule.
  4. Select Apply rule on messages I send in the Rules Wizard. It's under the Start from a blank rule section.
  5. Now, Select conditions for all your outgoing messages. Clear all the checkboxes and select Next, if you aim to delay all messages you send.

If you don't check any boxes, the next step will be to click Yes so every outgoing mail gets the rule.

  1. Check this box in the Select action list: defer delivery by several minutes. Click on a number of in the box at the bottom.
  2. For how long would you delay emails? The dialog box has several time periods you can choose from. One hundred twenty (120) minutes is the maximum delay limit. Once you set the delay, click OK.

You should now click Next in the Rules wizard.

  1. Now choose all exceptions and add them to the delayed message rule before clicking Next.
  2. You need to name your email rule using the rule description box. Check the Turn on this rule checkbox if it isn't selected.
  3. Click Finish to complete the procedure. To close the wizard, you also need to click Apply and select OK.

Henceforth, when you send an email, it'll have an automatic delay for the number of minutes you selected. Those email s will remain in the Outbox until they're ready for sending.

Does Outlook Need to Stay Open for Delayed Delivery?

While Microsoft Outlook is an excellent tool for scheduling email delivery, we mentioned earlier that it needs to be open for delayed delivery. But that's not the whole story. In addition to keeping Outlook open, you also need:

  • to have your system running,
  • an active internet connection, and
  • to sync Outlook with the date and time of the system.

Is There an Easier Way to Schedule Emails?

Microsoft Outlook is a marvel of software engineering, considering its numerous features. Delaying emails by all of two hours is breathtaking, by any standards. But, it often proves not to be an easy walk in the park for the uninitiated. Even the most detailed manuals are not as clear on how to schedule an email in Outlook. However, rather than have to go through these many hoops when you schedule or unscheduling delayed delivery in Outlook, an option like Mailbird is definitely worth the try.

Mailbird's Send Later feature can help you to schedule email s. The neat two-step procedure involves:

  1. clicking an arrow beside the Send button
  2. choosing a date

It's possible to check your Outlook email using Mailbird. The reason is that Outlook.com supports IMAP/SMTP. Mailbird is now a popular option if you google "Outlook schedule email " or "schedule email Outlook."

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Conclusion

An inadequate email management system can amplify stress at work. It's vital to go for an efficient tool like Mailbird if you're going to manage various accounts, improve productivity, and integrate other software tools with ease. The Mailbird interface is intuitive and allows extensive personalization with your favorite themes, layouts, signatures, and much more that you'll enjoy if you download and try the Mailbird email client today. Mailbird is a no-brainer option for how to schedule an email in Outlook.

FAQ

How do you schedule an email?

Depending on the email client you use, the name of the feature that allows you to schedule emails can have a different name. Like with Outlook, where it's called Delay Delivery. In other cases, with email clients like Mailbird or Gmail, you should look for an arrow button right beside the Send button — it opens the dialog where you can schedule the time of delivery.

How do you set up automatic emails in Outlook?

You type your autoresponder message in the Automatic Replies (Out of Office) dialog box in your Outlook account on Mailbird. In the Outlook client, you would have to use Automatic Replies under the File tab. Then, select Send automatic replies before selecting Only send during this time range. Choose your preferred dates and times, type in your message, and all is ready.